Ribbon feed mechanism for recorders



Jim- RATHOMA-S 7 Q 2,

RIBBON FEED MECHANISM FOR RECORDERS Filed Aug. '25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l l l l fizueriZb r: 502mm Thoma,

Q 21; 1941. R. A; THOMAS RIBBON FEED MECHANISM FOR RECORDERS Filed Aug. 25,1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 21, 1941 a "UNITEDIJSTATES PATENT OFFICE RIBBON FEED MECHANISM FOR 1 RECORDERS RobertA. Thomas, LombardfIlL, assignor, by mesne, assignments, to Myron D. Markley and f Joseph M. Markle'y, Jr. v Applicationhugust 25, 1937, Serial No. 160,885 7 mm. (01. 197-151) v a a This invention relates to vehicle recording de- -vices and has been illustrated as embodied in a device for automatically 1 and simultaneously printing mileage data and time data on a strip 5 of paper to show the"distance and timebetween stops and the length of time of stops, in order that the ownerof the vehicle orthe employer 01' its driver may be fully informed of itsmovements. In the present invention a simple mechanism automatically prints the time and mileage every 'timethe vehicle ignition system'isturned on or "off. in response to turmngthe regular ignition key. In practice, this will effectively prevent driving the vehiclewithouthaving the recording device operate. Onepbject of the invention is tration, the cover being removed for the sake of "clarity. i t i i Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 2"-2 of Fig. 3 to illustrate especially details of the ribbon reversal mechanismhiddeninFig.1.m 1. t v i Fig. Bis a planvlewof the printing unit shown in Fig. 2 and also included in Fig. 1, some partsbeing omitted for clarity. a

Fig. 4 is a view taken approximately on the line HOfFi8Z3-w Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the far side of the unit shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Fig.6 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken approximately on the line 7 go 8-8 oi Fig 2.

t This invention may take numerous forms, although only one has been chosen for illustra- 3 tion. A general viewof this form is seen in Fig; 1, t and: a brief description. of this figure will give a 5 general understanding of the apparatus in which the invention is utilized. A strip of paper II is drawn of! of asuitablysupported roll 12 by a platen roller H which is actuated in a manner .step-by-step and is fedthrough an opening in 50 the bottom plate ll where strips may be torn oil fromit as often as desired, to be preserved as a record. A guideway l6 through which the paper passes and a spring urged pressure roll ll are desirable to insure proper feeding of the paper.

5 A retaining cage will usually be provided to receive the paper ash is ejected and the cage may be constructed to cause the paper to roll up so that a considerable length may be accommodated. Whenever a record is to be made on this strip of paper, the platen roll I 3 is urgedupwardly to press the paper against type wheels 2| or rather against. the ink ribbon: 22, which in contact with the type wheels. :The type wheels include both mileage wheels, to whichwthe number 2h 5 is applied, and vthe timewheels 23 behind the -mileage wheels 2| ins-Fig. l but seen in Fig. 3. The mileage wheels 2! are driven by a shaft 24 which may be: driven by any suitable rotating portion of the vehicle-as is the shaft of an'ordinary 3 speedometer. "The time wheels are driven by a magnet 26. which is energized momentarily each minute under controlof a suitable clock 21,

preferably so arranged that its dial is exposed-to views The mechanism fordriving the time wheels 15 a and the mileage wheels is already well known in the art and need not be explained in detail except .in so far asit relatesto the improvements of the present invention." In printing units including time wheels it is common to provide a clock indicator 28 gearedto the time wheels for indicating the time which the time wheels are setto print, the clock of course'being geared to the time wheels. a

The platen I3 is operated bya relatively pow- 25 erful magnet 31 which actuates the armature 32 which through the linkage system 33 raises the platen roller l3 substantially without rotating it. As the platen roller subsequently drops down (when the energization of magnet 3| has ended), 30 apawl 34 engages ratchet wheel 35'mounted on the platen roll l3 to rotate the platen roll 13 to feedthe paper ll. Thus, it is seen that the paperiis fed after each recording impression.-

In the presentdisclosure, the magnet 3! is en-- 35 ergized and de-energized each time the ignition key is turned on or oil, becauserecording the time and mileage at such times will in mostinstancesgive adequate record, the unit being connected directly to the ignition system of the auto mobile so that current cannot be supplied tosaid ignition" without supplying-it to-the recorder.

To cause the relay to' operate, both when the ignition-is turned on andwhen it isturned ofi,

'I provide a control relay II which isin its energized position whenever the ignition circuit is turned on. This control relay 41' controls 'a circuitforthe magnet 3| but not in any customary manner for it keeps the circuit open both when it is energized and when it is tie-energized. merely closing it momentarily when it passes from one position to another, the relay moving slowly enough from one position tothe other to keep the circuit closedlong enough for the magnet 3lto operate. j l

The ribbon'feed mechanism includesa generally T-shaped member 6| which is carried by and vertically slidable on pins 62 and 63. It is actuated by being struck by the platen roller .l3 on its upward movement and may be provided so with a foot flange 84 for engaging this roller. The member 5|, which may be called a feed plate, is drawn downwardly to its position of rest, as limited by the pins 82, 83, by a spring 68 stretched between pins 82 and a pin on the feed plate 8|, as seen clearly in Fig. 1. The slot for the pin 82 is enlarged at its lower end so as to facilitate removing the feed plate 8| from this pin, but the enlargement is positioned low enough so that in normal use it will never be concentric with the pin.

Pivoted at each end of the feed plate 8| are pawls 68 one or the other of which'engages a corresponding ratchet wheel 88. As seen in Fig.

l, the left-hand pawl 68 is engaging the left- .hand ratchet wheel 69, and the ratchet wheel 88 turns a spool 1|, both being keyed to a common shaft. A friction washer, not shown, is provided between the frame l2of the printing unit and each ratchet wheel 69 for preventing backward movement of these members by the slight frictional force exerted by the pawl 88 in its ,up-

ward movement.

The pawls 68 are selectively engaged with the ratchet wheels 69 by a control bar 14 slidably carried by the feed plate 8| for movement endwise or laterally. When the bar I4 is .urged to the left (as viewed in Fig. 1), the ribbon 22 will feed fromright to left; and when the bar 14 is urged to the right,.,the ribbon will feed from the left .toright. In either case it is urged in one direction or the other resillently'by a leaf spring 18 which is straddled by a bifurcated mg I! bent over from the control bar ll. These parts are shown in detail in Fig. 6.

'Ribbon reversal 'Thereversing oi. the ribbonis accomplished primarily through the engagement of a pivoted beam 8|, seen best in Fig. 2, with apivoted gauge 'assembly including thev gauge-arms 82 running on the ribbon as it feeds. from one spool H to the other spool. Each gauge arm 82 is'carriedl by a plate 82 pivoted to the frame I2 and urged agains the ribbon by a spring as seen in Fig.2. I

The pivoted beam 8| is carried by the vertically reciprocating feed plate II as seen in Fig. 6 so 7 that it is raised by this plate on eachfeeding movement corresponding to each printing movement of the platen roll I8. Formally the beam 8| stricted as the remainder of the beam is raised gaging beam is shaped to prevent the dog from pivoting when it strikes the upper side of the beam, and the pivot point for the dog is positioned to cause the dog to pivot out from under the beam but not to pivot otherwise.

Thepivoted beam 8| is held in the position to which it is moved by a compressed spring 88 (see Figs. 2'and 6) guided by a link 8| operating between downwardly extending arm 82 on the pivoted beam 8| and a slotted bracket 83 carried by the feed plate 6|. The pivotedbeam 8| is provided with a hub 94 which turns with the beam 8| and a leaf spring" in a slot at the bottom of the hub. Thus, the leaf spring 18 is urged in one direction or the other depending upon the direction to which the beam 8| is tilted and the leaf spring 16 correspondingly urges the control bar I4 in one direction or the other.

Operation of the ribbon reversal mechanism The control bar 14 continues to be urged toward a given spool winding up the ribbon on that spool until the accumulation of, ribbon on the spool raises the gauge arm 82 and pivots the plate 83 until the dog 88 is moved into the path of the pivoted beam 8| which pivots as a result of vertical movement of the feed plate 6| by whichit is carried, the leaf spring 18 pivoting with it to shift the control bar II in the opposite direction I toward the other spool to cause the ribbon to ter plate I. Asseenin Fig. 2, the center plate I is slotted at its ends to receive the rods I48 which are correspondingly slotted annularly after which the end plates I and I42 may be applied to the ends of the rods I, the

three plates thus being accurately positioned. The upper endof the center platei may be bent over to-form-a support for the magnet -I I8 and continued over to the end plate I at which point it may be secured by a screw, thus bracing the top of the centerplate I. Prior printing vunits have been much more complicated requiring, for example, securing rods and in addition spacing bushings thereon. The center plate is necessary to support some of the gearing or other driving mechanism for the printing .wheels.

The support means for -magnet 28 and the printing unitmay be considered as purely diagrammatic, since any suitable support structure may be provided.

I claim: .1 Printing mechanism including type wheels, 8. pair ofribbon holders adapted to hold an ink ribbon across said type wheels, a platen adapted to press paper against said ribbon and said type wheels, andmeans for advancing said ribbon including a ratchet wheel connected with each ribbon holder. a reciprocating plate actuated by said platen. a pair 01' pawls on said plate, a bar mounted on said plate to move laterally in opposite directions for simultaneous moving said pawls and arranged when moved in either direction to position one of said pawls in operative relation'to the adjacent ratchet wheel and the other pawl in inoperative relation to the adjacent ratchet wheel, resilient meansfor biasing said bar in each direction, and means for reversing the bias of said resilient means comprising a beam pivoted to said reciprocating plate and operatively connected to said bar and gauge means arranged to move into the path of movement of the beam to swing it about its pivot to move said bar from .one position to its other position, whereby the ribbon feed is reversed.

ROBERT A. THOMAS. 

